Today, I have dog food on the brain. Let me tell ya a little story. I worked at a store that sold dog food. They sold other stuff too, but dog food is what brought a lot of our customers in. We sold several different kinds of dog food. It was so much more expensive than what I had always bought for my dogs at Wal Mart, and at first I was extremely skeptical. But, after they educated me on what I was selling, and after I began doing research of my own, well, let's just say I've never looked back. Good dog food is so important. And there are SO SO SO many bad kinds out there. Why is is that we obsessively look at the labels on our food, but we never look at the label on our dog food bag? I never had before.
Go to Wal Mart, Target, or any grocery store, and pick up a bag of dog food. Seriously, I double dog dare you to do it. What is the first ingredient? What are the top 5 ingredients? I bet anything, in no particular order, the first five ingredients will include corn, chicken or animal by-product, and wheat. And possibly some kind of gluten something or other. I even dare you to pick up a bag of...SCIENCE DIET!! Yes, yes, I know. Veterinarians sell it, so it HAS to be good. Guess what folks? That's just not true. Vet's get a kick back from Science Diet for selling it in their clinics, and that's the truth. Veterinarians are not nutritionist, and believe it or not they actually don't know THAT much about nutrition, so they don't always know what is good and what isn't. Science diet isn't any better than Ole Roy. (The only exception is if your vet prescribes a prescription science diet food for your dog, and I would still be leery).
Now, does this sound good to you? Do you know what chicken by-product is? It's basically what it says it is: the by product of the chicken. It's everything BUT the nutritious meat. It's beaks, feathers, feet, organs, etc. If beaks and feet are so healthy and filling then why aren't they in more of OUR foods? (McDonald's chicken nuggets being an exception. Hahaha, sorry!) And do you know how much nutritional value that corn has in it? Well, it's not much if any. Corn is a cheap filler, bottom line. The dog foods in these big "box" stores, even stores like Petco, all have preservatives in them. They sit in a warehouse for 6 months before they are on the shelf. They are filled with all this junk, and then most of us feed it to our dogs. WHY?! We want to eat healthy, don't we want our doggies to eat healthy, be healthy, and live a long life?
Let me tell you some of the biggest things that I noticed after I switched to a quality food. Yes, it's more expensive, but it's more FILLING, so they literally eat about half as much as they would normally eat. They go potty less. I don't know about you, but I am more regular when I eat nutritious foods then when I eat fast food two times a day. Their "waste" doesn't smell as bad. Honestly, it doesn't. And their hair or coat will look so much differently!
Having said all this, I know that depending on where you live, some of these good doggie foods can be really hard to find. Google it. There is a place in Jonesboro that sells some really great dog food. Hollywood Feed. They just opened not to long ago and I'm soooooo glad they did. Even some of the feed stores sell some really great food. It's worth looking into :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Kate
Today when I got home, I heard Kate upstairs, scratching on the door of the bathroom. She heard me and wanted out! It made my heart happy. It also made me super sad that she is locked up. Kate goes back to the doctor tomorrow for her second round of heartworm treatment. So far, everything is going good. She hasn't had any weird side effects, and she actually doesn't act like anything is bothering her. I can't wait until this ordeal is over!
It's just been in the past few days that my mind has actually wondered "Is this going to work out? Did I make the right decision?" I mean, Kate is precious and behaves perfectly, but I based my decision on keeping her on her being perfect for ONE day. This makes me laugh at myself for so many reasons. I pride myself on not being rash, on thinking things through. I can't imagine something happening that would make me not want to keep Kate, and I'm the type of person (as I believe all people should be, for the most part) that when I decide to keep a dog, I'm keeping the dog, no matter what.
And I'm actually watching Toddlers and Tiaras right now. This also got me thinking about how people that don't have kids, like myself, do the same thing to their dog that these parents are doing to their child. I used to work at an upscale dog boutique, and I've seen people drop some major moolah on their four legged friend. I've also heard those same people talk about how they keep their dog in the laundry room 24/7 because of the hair or because they aren't housebroken. I clean my house whether there is dog hair everywhere or not, don't you?
Guess what folks? Some dogs shed. If a dog isn't housebroken, it's because you didn't housebreak him/her. Trust me, I would love to spend all kinds of money on my dogs, I'd much rather buy cool stuff for them then for myself. But bottom line is that I want them to be a DOG. They have the right to act like a dog, think like a dog, smell like a dog, and behave like a dog. There is freedom in that. My dogs may not have a bed that costs $200, but they get nine kinds of attention from me, and hugs, and belly rubs, and I kiss them until their furry little cheeks can't take it anymore. We play and do exciting things and go for car rides, and they are happy.
It's just been in the past few days that my mind has actually wondered "Is this going to work out? Did I make the right decision?" I mean, Kate is precious and behaves perfectly, but I based my decision on keeping her on her being perfect for ONE day. This makes me laugh at myself for so many reasons. I pride myself on not being rash, on thinking things through. I can't imagine something happening that would make me not want to keep Kate, and I'm the type of person (as I believe all people should be, for the most part) that when I decide to keep a dog, I'm keeping the dog, no matter what.
And I'm actually watching Toddlers and Tiaras right now. This also got me thinking about how people that don't have kids, like myself, do the same thing to their dog that these parents are doing to their child. I used to work at an upscale dog boutique, and I've seen people drop some major moolah on their four legged friend. I've also heard those same people talk about how they keep their dog in the laundry room 24/7 because of the hair or because they aren't housebroken. I clean my house whether there is dog hair everywhere or not, don't you?
Guess what folks? Some dogs shed. If a dog isn't housebroken, it's because you didn't housebreak him/her. Trust me, I would love to spend all kinds of money on my dogs, I'd much rather buy cool stuff for them then for myself. But bottom line is that I want them to be a DOG. They have the right to act like a dog, think like a dog, smell like a dog, and behave like a dog. There is freedom in that. My dogs may not have a bed that costs $200, but they get nine kinds of attention from me, and hugs, and belly rubs, and I kiss them until their furry little cheeks can't take it anymore. We play and do exciting things and go for car rides, and they are happy.
Monday, July 18, 2011
No, he can't have CHOCOLATE!!!!!
Dogs are allergic to chocolate. How many times have you heard this? I've heard it over and over again my whole life. People just absolutely freak out if they think you are about to give a dog ANYTHING that has even the tiniest amount of chocolate in it.
The truth is, chocolate IS dangerous to dogs, in large amounts. If your dog eats one m&m, chances are he/she will be fine. If he eats a whole bag, then he might get sick.
What we do NOT hear is how many other foods are extremely poisonous to our furry friends. Chocolate is not the only food that they don't need to eat. Did you know that onions are toxic to dogs? What about grapes and raisins, stems from a tomatoe, the eye of a potatoe, and sometimes lunchmeat?
One night my boyfriend was making something using avacado. One tiny sliver of avacado fell in the kitchen floor and my toy poodle, Jordan, ate it before we could even think about picking it up! She pretty much projectile vomited four about two hours afterwards. Obviously, she was fine afterwards. But when I did a little bit of research I found that avacados are toxic to dogs, and her reaction was totally normal.
Lunchmeat seems to be a favorite of dogs, and its pretty easy to pick off of your sandwhich when you have those big puppy dog eyes staring at you. It can have bad, bad consuquences. One tiny piece of lunchmeat can cause your dog to have a bacterial infection, which nobody wants.
There are lots of things that are dogs shouldn't eat, besides just chocolate. I'm a firm believer that whether your dog gets human food is your preference, but some things are okay and some things are not. If you just can't say no to your baby, then do a little research so you know what to say yes to.
The truth is, chocolate IS dangerous to dogs, in large amounts. If your dog eats one m&m, chances are he/she will be fine. If he eats a whole bag, then he might get sick.
What we do NOT hear is how many other foods are extremely poisonous to our furry friends. Chocolate is not the only food that they don't need to eat. Did you know that onions are toxic to dogs? What about grapes and raisins, stems from a tomatoe, the eye of a potatoe, and sometimes lunchmeat?
One night my boyfriend was making something using avacado. One tiny sliver of avacado fell in the kitchen floor and my toy poodle, Jordan, ate it before we could even think about picking it up! She pretty much projectile vomited four about two hours afterwards. Obviously, she was fine afterwards. But when I did a little bit of research I found that avacados are toxic to dogs, and her reaction was totally normal.
Lunchmeat seems to be a favorite of dogs, and its pretty easy to pick off of your sandwhich when you have those big puppy dog eyes staring at you. It can have bad, bad consuquences. One tiny piece of lunchmeat can cause your dog to have a bacterial infection, which nobody wants.
There are lots of things that are dogs shouldn't eat, besides just chocolate. I'm a firm believer that whether your dog gets human food is your preference, but some things are okay and some things are not. If you just can't say no to your baby, then do a little research so you know what to say yes to.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Heartworms
Ok, it's Sunday night, and I just left my parents house. I'm pretty excited to see my two poodles, Mikey and Jordan.
I pull into my parking space and low and behold...I see a dog.
Yup, there is a dog running around in the yard, a little dog with white hair, and from my car he/she looks pretty stinkin' cute.
I get out of my car and head towards my door. I stop and watch her. She has made herself at home two porches down. I know she doesn't belong to the people that live there becuase I'm outside fifteen times a day with the poodles, and I would have seen this dog. I make that funny noise, ya know, the one that you make when you want a dog to come to you (I don't know how to spell that particular noise). She comes to me and I melt.
It looks as though she has been sleeping under a car, as she is covered with oil. Her leg hair is all matted up, and someone has shaved her body all the way down to the skin. So close that she has what looks like razor burn. I talk to her and she seems sweet, but a little shy. I decide that if she is still there in the morning, I'll take her in and at least give her a bath...
Well, guess what people...she was still there in the morning. In the exact same place that she was when I left her the night before. I pick her up and take her upstairs and give her the best bath that I can. I give her some food and water, and I leave her in the bathroom.
What in the heck am I gonna do with this dog?
She is sooooo sweet, might I add. She didn't move a muscle the whole time I was bathing her. She let the poodles smell her all over, and she smelled them back. I can see it in her eyes that she is a good girl.
I have to take her to the vet and see if she is healthy. In my heart, I know she won't be. But I keep telling everyone, my mom, my sister, my boss, my boyfriend, that if she has anything seriously wrong with her, something that will cost hundreds of dollars to fix, I'll call one of the rescue places and see if they can take her.
Yea....right.
I took her to the vet on Tuesday morning. Guess what? She has heartworms, some other intestinal worm that I think the vet called "whip worms", ear mites, and a skin infection from being shaved so close.
And as I'm sitting in the examination room listening to the vet tell me everything that is wrong with her, she looks up at me and just barely licks my nose.
So, she started heartworm treatment on Thursday. Lemme' tell ya, it's very sad. She has to be completely confined for 60 days. She has to take a medicinal cocktail everyday. She can't play, or basically have a life of any kind. This is the first dog I've ever had that has had heartworms. For some reason, hearing other people talk about it doesn't do it justice. It's horrible to watch her be so lonesome and not feeling well. I can't even find one fault in this dog. She doesn't bark, cry, or jump. She doesn't get car sick, she isn't food aggressive, and she likes the poodles. She isn't hyper, she doesn't tear thing up, and she is housebroken.
How on earth can someone do this to an animal? How could anyone do this to HER?
I've never let myself stop and pick up a dog off the side of the road, I know that would turn into a real bad habit. But, I feel as though she was basically delivered by the stork to my doorstep. Everyone thinks I am crazy for paying seven hundred dollars to treat a "stray" dog for heartworms.
But she isn't a stray, she is Kate, and she is my newest furry child.
I pull into my parking space and low and behold...I see a dog.
Yup, there is a dog running around in the yard, a little dog with white hair, and from my car he/she looks pretty stinkin' cute.
I get out of my car and head towards my door. I stop and watch her. She has made herself at home two porches down. I know she doesn't belong to the people that live there becuase I'm outside fifteen times a day with the poodles, and I would have seen this dog. I make that funny noise, ya know, the one that you make when you want a dog to come to you (I don't know how to spell that particular noise). She comes to me and I melt.
It looks as though she has been sleeping under a car, as she is covered with oil. Her leg hair is all matted up, and someone has shaved her body all the way down to the skin. So close that she has what looks like razor burn. I talk to her and she seems sweet, but a little shy. I decide that if she is still there in the morning, I'll take her in and at least give her a bath...
Well, guess what people...she was still there in the morning. In the exact same place that she was when I left her the night before. I pick her up and take her upstairs and give her the best bath that I can. I give her some food and water, and I leave her in the bathroom.
What in the heck am I gonna do with this dog?
She is sooooo sweet, might I add. She didn't move a muscle the whole time I was bathing her. She let the poodles smell her all over, and she smelled them back. I can see it in her eyes that she is a good girl.
I have to take her to the vet and see if she is healthy. In my heart, I know she won't be. But I keep telling everyone, my mom, my sister, my boss, my boyfriend, that if she has anything seriously wrong with her, something that will cost hundreds of dollars to fix, I'll call one of the rescue places and see if they can take her.
Yea....right.
I took her to the vet on Tuesday morning. Guess what? She has heartworms, some other intestinal worm that I think the vet called "whip worms", ear mites, and a skin infection from being shaved so close.
And as I'm sitting in the examination room listening to the vet tell me everything that is wrong with her, she looks up at me and just barely licks my nose.
So, she started heartworm treatment on Thursday. Lemme' tell ya, it's very sad. She has to be completely confined for 60 days. She has to take a medicinal cocktail everyday. She can't play, or basically have a life of any kind. This is the first dog I've ever had that has had heartworms. For some reason, hearing other people talk about it doesn't do it justice. It's horrible to watch her be so lonesome and not feeling well. I can't even find one fault in this dog. She doesn't bark, cry, or jump. She doesn't get car sick, she isn't food aggressive, and she likes the poodles. She isn't hyper, she doesn't tear thing up, and she is housebroken.
How on earth can someone do this to an animal? How could anyone do this to HER?
I've never let myself stop and pick up a dog off the side of the road, I know that would turn into a real bad habit. But, I feel as though she was basically delivered by the stork to my doorstep. Everyone thinks I am crazy for paying seven hundred dollars to treat a "stray" dog for heartworms.
But she isn't a stray, she is Kate, and she is my newest furry child.
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